


A Melody, a Memory & a Sound Idea - SoRiku Week 2020

by dekkiidan



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, SoRiku Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:20:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27959021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dekkiidan/pseuds/dekkiidan
Summary: A collection of my little pieces inspired by the SoRiku Week 2020 prompt list!
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	1. Dearly Beloved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sora teaches Riku how to waltz, and Riku's heart sings along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first piece of "published" fanfic, go easy on me! I hope you enjoy it!

“A-ah, Sora!” Riku exclaimed, cheeks flushing as he felt his messy-haired companion loop a sun-kissed arm around his waist, pulling him close. The warmth of Sora’s small body pressed against his caused his heart to thump so loudly in his chest he was sure it would drown out the gentle music he had grown so used to hearing around his beloved friend. 

Riku had never quite figured it out, but whenever he was with Sora his heart hummed that oh-so familiar melody, announcing to its owner that, _Hey! Sora’s here!_ And that meant that he was home again, that he was _whole_ again. The “singing”, as Riku referred to his heart’s little tune, had started on the night of the meteor shower - when he had made a promise to protect what mattered most to him, and since then, although not always audible, it was always _there_ \- gently humming away. On some days, it was quieter, drowned out by the darkness, but never silent; and when he was with Sora, it erupted into a beautiful waltzing crescendo full of life, and warmth, and light. Full of what made Sora, well, _Sora._

“C’mon, Riku,” Sora beamed up at his friend, blue eyes sparkling in the soft light of the Pastoral Symphony’s Glen, “If we can’t dance _here_ , in a world full of _music_ , then where else can we?” He paused, before adding with a pout, “Besides, you _promised_ we would dance after you skipped out on the cèilidh in Corona!”

Riku attempted to swallow his nerves, “I-I suppose so, but,” He felt the fingers of Sora’s free hand intertwine delicately with his, and his heart gave another _ker-thunk!_ \- tune leaping into an inspired allegro in reaction to their touch, “You know I can’t dance.”

“Don’t worry,” Sora teased softly at Riku’s flustered expression, squeezing his hand ever so gently, before prompting his taller friend to rest his other hand upon his shoulder, “I’ll lead.”

And lead he did, starting with an easy to follow box-step, before gliding into a waltz effortlessly across the pink cobblestones of the Glen. Despite Riku’s inexperience, his body eventually fell in line, swaying and twirling with Sora’s movements, pulling apart when prompted, connected only by their fingertips, to later rejoin in a twirling embrace. Somehow, his feet knew where to be with each move, reacting to his heart’s tune as they danced. The fragrant breeze brushed Sora’s bangs as he reacted in turn, matching Riku’s steps with precision, revealing that beam of sunshine and those delicate, sun-kissed freckles, eyes closed in a smile as they moved as one. Riku stole a glance at his friend as he awkwardly followed his steps - he looked so _serene_ , so at ease. So - _ker-thunk!_ \- perfect. 

The pair danced through the evening, the oranges of daylight dimming to dusky pinks as they waltzed as one, eventually slowing back into a gentle box step. Sora’s head was leant comfortably against Riku’s chest, with the taller boy’s chin nestled among the brunette’s mess of brown spikes. 

“It sounds just like mine,” Sora murmured, softly, his eyes closed as if dreaming.

“Hm?”

“Your heartsong.” He paused, keeping his ear pressed against Riku’s chest, the softest of smiles tugging gently at his lips, “It’s the same as mine.”

Riku felt his own heart catch in his throat. “Y-You can hear it?”

“Of course,” He raised his eyes to meet Riku’s, smiling earnestly, “Want to hear mine?”

Without waiting for an answer, and as if prompted by Sora’s words, the gentle cascade of the Pastoral Symphony began to fade in a diminuendo with the evening sun, replaced instead by that oh-so familiar tune that was forever beating inside Riku’s heart. It was slightly different to his own heartsong, with higher notes to compliment Riku’s bass tones, and the whimsical waft of a flute that harmonised with the piano melody that he had grown so used to. 

_Your hearts are always in tune, so they’re free to sing._

The songs danced around one another, singing together and harmonising into a crescendo of a waltz that, for a reason he couldn’t quite place, made Riku’s heart ache. He glanced down at Sora, who was smiling up at him with those bright blue eyes, full of hope and life and light. Riku felt his heart lurch as he found himself leaning forwards to brush his lips gently against Sora’s, heartsongs intertwining into a harmony. Everything was perfect. This was their song. Their duet.

Their _Dearly Beloved._


	2. Always On My Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sora learns to use the Gummi Phone, and Riku is subject to a barrage of text messages and his own feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! I had a blast writing this, even if Sora's texts were painful to type!

Riku’s heavy boots touched down with a strong _thud!_ against the cool stone floor of one of the many rooms nestled within the Mysterious Tower, the air around him practically buzzing with the static of magic as he attempted to regain his composure. He had never _quite_ gotten used to the King’s haphazard way of interworld travel, and although he would never admit it in front of Mickey, he often dreaded travelling with his smaller friend from world to world, even more so when that “world” was the Realm of Darkness.

“Ngh,” He grunted - receiving a concerned glance from Mickey, as he raised a tired hand to his forehead in an attempt to quell the oncoming headache pushing behind his eyes.  
“Heh, sorry Riku,” The King began, offering his silver haired companion an apologetic smile, “We cut that one kind of close, huh?”

Honestly? _Kind of close_ was an understatement, Riku was surprised the pair had escaped from the Realm of Darkness _at all_. The Heartless had been particularly vicious this time around - leaving the duo with more than damaged pride to nurse on their way home. Riku in particular sported an especially impressive gash across his forearm where the swarming mass of a Dark Tide had nicked him on his escape.

“You can say that again,” He mused, unstopping an Ether with a _pop!_ , “I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so an-”

He was interrupted by a familiar jingle and erratic buzz coming from his back pocket as his Gummi Phone exploded into life - the Realm of Darkness never got any signal - _why would it?_ \- so upon returning he would often find his phone packed full of notifications, junk mail and the occasional text from Kairi or a meme in bad taste from Lea. This time, though, it ceased for a moment, before starting up again. And again. And _again_. In fact, the poor little device didn’t get a second’s rest for about two minutes straight as a stream of text messages assaulted the screen. There was only one person who, uh, “utilised” their phone in such a manner. 

Ether forgotten, Riku grabbed for the phone, giving Mickey an apologetic smile, “Sorry Mickey, uh -”

Mickey chuckled, a knowing glint in his beady eyes, “Gosh, Riku, you don’t hafta apologise. Go see what Sora’s been up to. I’ll see ya later to report back to Master Yen Sid.”

Riku nodded, relieved, before making his way as calmly _\- why did his heart feel so light all of a sudden?_ to his guest room as he could - not that he could hide the spring in his step as he left.

The accommodation in the Mysterious Tower was pleasant enough - a single wooden bed equipped with a comfortable mattress and cosy constellation inspired quilt; a sturdy wardrobe decorated with the tell-tale cosmic carvings of the tower stood alongside a desk, while a small wash basin and mirror were tucked away in the corner. Some of Riku’s belongings gave the room a little more personality - some loungewear folded neatly at the end of the bed, a few trinkets picked up from various worlds: some pretty rocks that sparkled in the sun, a few synthesis materials, and some leftover dream pieces for Komory Bat were lined up neatly on the desk; while an extra blanket hung haphazardly from the back of the chair - it was a lot colder here than on the islands, after all.

Riku absently tossed his jacket towards the chair, where it landed in a crumpled heap on the floor - _nice shot_ , before flopping down onto the bed, Gummi Phone held above his face as he unlocked the screen.  
  


**_[23] New Messages_**

**_SENDER:_ ** _SORA_

Riku smiled. A soft, warm smile that was saved especially for Sora. Saved for moments like these. Although he hated the crushing feeling of failure upon each return trip to the Realm of Darkness without Aqua in tow, and although he would never _admit_ it openly, receiving a barrage of messages from Sora made the trips _more_ than worth it.

Quickly scrolling to the beginning of the new messages, he was initially greeted with a blurry selfie of Sora in the Gummi Ship, with an exasperated Donald and Goofy peeking over his shoulder. The message, **“HI RIKU!!!!”** in all capitals sat underneath it. Riku laughed, pulling the phone closer to get a better look at his beloved friend who was certainly no photographer, that was for sure, but most definitely _his_ Sora. He continued scrolling, reading each message and attachment in turn.

> **HI RIKU! We just landed in a world where we’re TOYS!! How cool is that?? I’ve made friends with a cowboy called Woody and an astronaut named Buzz, Buzz kind of reminds me of you, haha!! OH, but look at this! There is a game here and YOU’RE IN IT! You didn’t tell me you were in a game Riku!! See you soon!**

Underneath was a picture of a tiny toy Sora, posing next to a video game called _Verum Rex_ . He was pointing at the character on the front, a cheesy grin plastered on his plastic face. Riku smiled, he did _kind of_ look like the character he supposed.

> **HI RIKU! I’m in a place called the Kingdom of Corona! I’m helping Rapunzel see the floating lights tonight - it’s been her dream since she was small! Do you remember when we used to dream of the raft? What are you dreaming about now, Riku? See you soon!**
> 
> **HI RIKU! There was a dance in the Kingdom today! I had so much fun dancing with Rapunzel and other people, but I wish I could have danced with you! I bet you would have been good at it . . . LOL.**
> 
> **RIKU! We got to see the floating lights! It was so pretty! Like stars in the sky! It reminded me of the meteor shower, but not as scary! I know you’ll still protect me from falling stars, right Riku? OH! I set off two lanterns for us! One for me and one for you! Thinking of you, wish you were here!**

An image of Sora’s beaming face, bathed in the warm orange glow of two paper lanterns appeared under the messages. The photo had been taken so close to the boy’s face that the background was all but blocked out, but the brunette’s eyes reflected the sky full of lanterns above him. Riku’s heart fluttered, how he yearned to be there with him.

> **HI RIKU! ROAAARRR! Did I scare you? This world is a SCREAM! Haha! Wish you were here! I bet you’d look funny as a monster!**

This message was underlined by a picture of a fuzzy looking monster Sora who Riku assumed was _attempting_ to look scary, teeth bared in an attempted growl; but with that fur, and those big ears - Riku let out a tiny giggle, there was no way Sora could be scary even if he tried his hardest.

The next message didn’t have any text, it was simply a picture of Sora standing knee deep in snow, skinny arms wrapped tightly around himself in a fruitless attempt to keep warm. His cheeks and nose were a flushed red, and his dejected expression made him look like a kicked puppy. In the corner of the photo, Riku glimpsed the unmistakable white feathered thumb of Donald.

> **RIKU! You weren’t supposed to see that picture! Donald took it and sent it without me noticing! It’s really cold here in Arendelle! Donald can’t even magic me up an extra jacket or anything! Apparently true love can thaw a frozen heart here though, so maybe I’d be warm with you here Riku!! I miss you! See you soon!**

The messages went on, punctured by snaps of Sora in different worlds, different outfits and different forms; but always with the same warm messages, the same childish excitement of being somewhere new, and the same sentiment of always wanting Riku to be right there with him. The older boy felt his heart melt at the thought of Sora taking the time to punch out each message _just_ for him. Scrolling through the messages, through the pictures, through Sora’s _worlds_ , Riku drew the phone closer. He missed Sora. He missed his smile, his laughter, his nonchalant confidence. He missed his hugs, his reassuring hands on his shoulder or his excited tapping as he explained something new. He missed everything about him, and for the first time since his missions to find Aqua began, Riku realised just how much his heart ached for his friend.

“God,” He whispered, closing his eyes to pull the phone close to his chest as he folded into himself, “I miss you, Sora.”

As if on cue, his phone suddenly exploded into life against his chest, vibrating so violently that he nearly flung the device to the other side of the room in surprise. Quickly wiping his eyes, not that he had been crying, Riku squinted at the screen.

_**[1] New Message** _

_**SENDER:** SORA_

> **Hi Riku! Are you back from your mission yet? I hope you and the King have been okay in the Realm of Darkness! I just wanted to message you because I miss you.**

There was a pause, before another message appeared with a buzz. It was a screenshot of Sora’s home screen - although how Sora had figured out how to do that was beyond Riku. Donald must have shown him.

Beaming back at him was Sora’s bright smile, free arm looped up around Riku’s neck, pulling the taller boy down to fit into the picture. Riku was smiling awkwardly, his eyes fixed firmly on Sora in the photo. There was a sparkly filter overlaying the snap, which had added some silly animal ears to the both of them.

> **This is my phone background! I wanted to send it to you because no matter which world I’m in, I’m always thinking of you, Riku! You’re always on my mind, even when we’re worlds apart! See you soon Riku!**

Another pause, before:

> **OH, don’t you think the ears are CUTE! Honey Lemon showed me how to use a filter! You’re a cute cat Riku!**

Riku sniffed, before a soft laugh escaped his chest. How could Sora go from writing something so intimate to something so blasé in such a short length of time? Well, he mused, that was Sora to a tee. He punched out a reply, letting his friend know he was safe and that he missed him too, before exiting to his own home screen. A picture of Sora, face lit by the orange hues of sunset, skin shimmering from the ocean spray of the sea back on Destiny Islands grinned back at him. _Oh Sora,_ Riku thought, aquamarine eyes smiling softly, _you’re always on my mind too._


	3. Another Side, Another Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Riku reflects on part of his own story.
> 
> Set before Riku and Sora are reunited in KHII.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually really struggled with this prompt, "Another Side, Another Story" is a piece of music I associate with Riku and Roxas, so I ran with Riku's own story today. I wanted the themes of reflection, choosing your own story and "other sides" to be prevalent but I'm not sure if I achieved it. I'm not really sure if it counts as SoRiku or just a Riku drabble, honestly! Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

The World that Never Was had never been what Riku would call “homely”, the constant drizzle, looming shadows, and stifling presence of the Castle overhead made everything feel  _ heavy _ . With air that felt too close, kind of humid and sticky, as he paced Fragment’s Crossing. Even the light here was overbearing, if it could be called light at all - harsh, artificial signs that dotted the streets and the ever looming glow of Kingdom Hearts above. The contrast hurt his eyes, and the static buzz from the neon signs scratched at his focus as he turned the corner to Memory’s Skyscraper.

The huge building towered above him, the overbearing light from the enormous screen casting distorted shadows across his cloaked face. Riku  _ hated _ that screen. Hated how it flashed memories of a life he could no longer enjoy before him, teasing him with moments of the past. The meteor shower, a spoken promise. The Dark Depths in Hollow Bastion, a toy sword tossed to the floor, a broken heart. Traversing the Realm of Darkness, finding his way back to the light, the thought of seeing his friend constantly pushing him forward. Decisive battles, flashes of faces so familiar but not quite right. A sacrifice. All for  _ him _ . For Sora.

A drop of rain landed on Riku’s cheek as he watched from below. Then another. And another, until the heavens opened in a downpour from above, pooling in puddles on the dark concrete underfoot. Even the rain felt sickly and warm, sticking to his skin in a clammy film. Riku sighed, tearing his eyes away from the screen to make his way back towards the Castle, when a glint from the neon light flashed his reflection from one of the expanding puddles at his feet.

Piercing orange eyes framed by swept back silver hair stared back at him. 

Riku suddenly felt his heart shatter with rage, with sorrow and loss. An overwhelming sense of nausea flooded his body as he ripped his eyes away from his reflection. From  _ Ansem _ ’s reflection. Turning on his heel, ready to run as far away from the skyscraper as possible, he was instead met by a sea of burning yellow and red eyes rising from the depths. Shadows, Neoshadows and were those  _ Floods _ ? The Heartless he was used to seeing around here, but Unversed? They were a rarity. The swarming mass of darkness bubbled to the surface, one by one separating from the amalgam of shadows to take on their own independent forms. Gritting his teeth, eyes flashing dangerously through the oncoming storm, Way to the Dawn appeared at Riku’s side. With no thought for self preservation he leapt forwards.

He brought Way to the Dawn down in a great arc, a disgruntled snarl rumbling in his chest, as he dispelled a small pack of Shadows before him. Another slash to the left as he parried a Neoshadow, the Heartless’ dark claws gripping onto the serrated edge of the keyblade in an attempt to block it, yellow eyes burning into Riku's soul. He pushed forwards, casting a barrage of fire that hissed in the rain as he did so. The Neoshadow erupted in flames, and disappeared into the void. All around him, Floods emerged from the ground, their tiny bodies flocking to his ankles, claws slicing at his legs as they attempted to get a hold on him. The battle raged on for what felt like hours, each swipe of Way to the Dawn only paving the way for more Heartless and Floods to claw their way to the surface. Exhausted, and soaked through, Riku let out a frustrated battle cry of desperation.

“Ngh, why? Why won’t you stop spawning?!” He panted, using the last of his magic to cast a protective barrier between himself and the remaining Heartless. His opponents slammed against it, talons scraping roughly against its surface. With each impact, the barrier shimmered with light, refracting the beams pulsing from the screen above to reflect Riku’s image within it’s protective casing. He stared at his reflection - soaked through, rain cascading down his angular face; orange eyes ablaze, snow white hair stuck awkwardly to his forehead from the rain. Another impact and the image distorted, flickering into a young silver haired boy, eyes covered by a black blindfold, lips pursed in a determined line, Oblivion clasped tightly in his gloved hands. The boy gave Riku a small, decisive nod. The image flashed for but a moment, until another heavy slam from a Neoshadow broke the reflection. Orange eyes returned.

_ That’s right. _ Riku thought to himself, memories of his past surfacing. His grip on Way to the Dawn tightened.  _ I chose this. I chose this to protect someone important to me. Someone I love _ . 

With an audible  _ crack! _ , the Reflect barrier shattered, and Riku leapt forwards, the sea of Floods dissipating almost immediately as he landed within the horde of darkness. Way to the Dawn sliced through Neoshadows, and with each fallen enemy, Riku felt his resolve grow. He did this to protect Sora. He did this to keep his promise under the falling stars. The darkness was his to command now, and despite the price he paid for it, in his heart he knew it was worth it. Although Ansem’s form reflected his past, he was just another side to Riku, another part of his story that would one day be worth telling. 


	4. Hand in Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sora and Riku hold hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really struggled between two ideas for this piece - "Hand in Hand" always reminds me of excitement, attraction flow and new worlds, and I was tempted to write about Sora and Riku enjoying the rides in Disneytown, but I instead settled for something a bit more literal. Besides, fluff is always more fun. Hope you enjoy! I really enjoyed writing this one!

Sora let out a content little sigh, drawing his knees up to his chin as the chill of a wayward sea breeze caught him off guard. Instinctively, he wriggled closer to Riku, his back nestled comfortably against the larger man’s chest in a fruitless attempt to dissuade the breath of wind from nipping at him further.

He felt a rumble from his companion as Riku chuckled, “Getting cold already, Sora? C’mon, I thought last Christmas in Arendelle would have taken the bite off of _any_ chill.” 

Sora scrunched his face up into a pout, “Riku,” He whined drawing out the vowels like always, “You _know_ it’s different back here on the islands. It’s _supposed_ to be warm, even now!” He gestured vaguely to the dusky orange sky, where the sun was just beginning to set beyond the horizon. The rays glinted like fireflies on the ocean's surface, scattering the light into thousands of colours across the island and its two evening visitors.

“Well,” Riku teased, “Maybe you’ve just been away from the islands for too long.”

Sora scoffed, unfolding his legs to allow Riku’s arms to lazily loop around his waist, calloused hands resting on Sora’s knees. “How does that make any sense? We’ve been away for the same amount of time! _And_ ,” He paused for emphasis, “It was _your_ idea to go visit Elsa for Christmas, remember?”

Another rumble tickled Sora’s back as Riku failed to hold back a second laugh, “Hey, it would have been rude to decline the invitation. Besides,” He gave a nonchalant little shrug, “I like the reindeer.”

Sora smiled, recalling Riku’s first encounter with the reindeer herd. How they had surrounded him, snuffling and nibbling at his hair curiously in the snow. Somehow Riku had always had a way with animals, more so than Sora, for sure, who would inevitably scare off any more introverted creatures through his sheer excitement of even _looking_ at them.

“Yeah, well,” The smaller boy mused, “Be glad Sven liked you too, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving ends of those horns.”

“They’re antlers, actually,” Riku corrected.

Sora frowned, before giggling, “Whatever, _nerd_.”

The pair fell into a comfortable silence, mulling over the previous year’s travels and adventures as they watched the sun dip slowly into the ocean. Just as the last light blinked out, bathing the islands in the dusky orange glows of sunset, Sora snuck his hands onto his knees, slipping them beneath Riku’s palms. Riku cupped Sora’s hand gently, tracing spirals with his thumb, before the pair laced their fingers together. They were older now, and gone was the softness of unbroken skin, instead replaced by worn fingertips and the remnants of raw palms from their battles combined with small scars that littered their fingers from wooden sword and Keyblade battles alike. Each knew the other so well - Riku could easily tell you _exactly_ how Sora got the little scar on the ridge of his right thumb (petting Meow Wow too vigorously and receiving a warning nip for his trouble); just as Sora could recite the _whole_ Le Grandé Bistrot palm burning escapade where Riku had _attempted_ to replicate Little Chef’s Pineapple flambé instructions with disastrous effect. Each little mark and feature that decorated their hands told a story, and although there were so many to choose from, it wasn’t hard for either of them to choose a favourite. 

Riku adjusted his wrist ever so slightly, bringing his left thumb to run over Sora’s wedding band, the metal smooth and warm from Sora’s constant fiddling. He felt Sora squeeze his other hand, before the messy haired brunette glanced upwards from beneath Riku’s chin - his eyes sparkling in the dusk light.

“Love you,” He smiled. _“Nerd.”_


	5. Friends in my Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which young Sora and Riku draw a picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was such a fun little drabble to write! I love imagining what mischief little Sora and Riku would get up to, and the idea of Komory Bat and Meow Wow being imaginary friends for the two boys was just too cute not to use! 
> 
> Candy and Prince are the names of my DDD Komory Bat and Meow Wow - although Prince is actually called "Prince Poo", but I didn't think that worked quite as nicely as just "Prince, haha!
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy!

“ _Ri~_ ku,” Sora chided, a tiny hand tapping at his friend’s wrist, “Are you finished with the blue yet? I need it for Meow Wow!” He poked at the centre of the roll of paper they were sharing, where a spherical cat-like creature, fondly named "Prince" by Sora, was proudly scrawled across the page. The lines were messy and haphazard, but the young brunette gave a smile, obviously pleased with himself, as he allowed Riku to appraise his work. 

Riku glanced down at the abstract form of Prince on the paper, giving an appreciative nod before returning his focus to his own work - a rather more refined drawing of a fluffy, yellow bat with big pink wings and bright eyes. “I’m nearly done, I just need to finish Candy’s markings and then you can have it back, okay?”

Sora pouted, shuffling closer to his friend to get a better look at Riku’s progress, which was, arguably, much better than his. The pair were on the floor of Sora’s bedroom, resting on their stomachs as they doodled together. Normally they would be out playing on their island, wooden swords in hand, racing across the golden sands, the concept of time passing them by non-existent as they went about their adventures without a care in the world for anything else. Today however, due to an incoming tropical storm, their little wooden boat had remained firmly docked at the pier upon strict instruction from Riku’s father, and no amount of pleading - _even_ from Sora’s wounded puppy dog eyes - could convince him otherwise. Luckily, the pair could make their own mischief regardless of locality and, without use of the boat, they had raced back to Sora’s house where Sora’s mother, anticipating the boys’ return, had already prepared a whole variety of activities to keep the two children occupied for the remainder of the day. 

First, they had deftly built make-believe Gummi Ships out of Sora’s Lego blocks - little rockets of bright reds and yellows, equipped with tiny white wings and imaginary blasters to take out enemies lurking around the house, only stopping when Sora's stomach announced it was time for a snack with an almighty grumble. So then, they had “helped” Sora’s Mum fix up something to eat - well, Riku had at least; Sora had instead made a mess of the kitchen counter as he snuck handfuls of the neatly cubed mango and sliced pineapple chunks into his mouth, eyes squeezed shut in delight as he devoured the sweet treats in a matter of minutes. Upon witnessing the carnage of her countertop, Sora's Mum had ushered the boys away from the kitchen into her son’s room, where she unraveled a huge roll of paper onto the floor, complete with a big box of colouring pencils to keep them occupied.

“Now you two,” She had instructed, warmly, “I want to see some real works of art when I come back up in an hour with some lunch, okay?”

Riku had nodded obediently, sincere eyes growing confident at the thought of drawing - something he enjoyed doing back home when his father was away at sea for the day. Sora bounced on his toes, little hands clenched into excited fists as his brain fired off a whole world of ideas that he couldn’t wait to get down on paper. 

“What should we draw, Mummy?”

“Oh,” A gentle hand tousled Sora’s messy hair, “Draw from your heart, sweetie, I’m sure whatever you boys come up with will be great.”

And so, that’s how little Sora and Riku found themselves nestled next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, as they sketched their imaginary friends in their dream world together. 

“There,” Riku nodded, unable to hide his pride as he finished adding on the final details to Candy’s wings, before handing the blue pencil over to his friend, “Candy’s all done.”

“Wow, Riku,” Sora gasped, blue eyes sparkling at the sight of the little Komory Bat dancing on the page, “She looks so pretty!”

Riku felt his heart swell and cheeks flush at Sora’s compliment, “N-No, she’s not that good. Yours is way better.” This was a blatant lie, not that Sora noticed, but it was true that Prince looked more like a blob than an actual _creature_ in his current state.

“I need to finish Prince so they can play together!”

After a few minutes of vigorous colouring, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration as he did so, Sora announced proudly that he was finished. “There! All done!”

Riku glanced at the finished masterpiece, which still looked like a scribbled lump of black, blue and pink with a smiley face and some cat ears stuck to the top, not that he would tell Sora that, of course. It was kind of endearing, in it’s own way. 

“Who’s that?” Riku asked, pointing to two newcomers scrawled between Candy and Prince - two stick figures holding hands with big smiley faces. 

Sora looked hurt for a second, “Can’t you tell?” He pointed to one of the figures, a mess of brown scribbles etched around its head, “That one’s me and,” He moved his finger across to the taller one, “And that one’s you! We’re playing with Candy and Prince!”

Riku felt his cheeks pinken, “O-Oh, of course.” He mumbled, shyly, only to feel Sora’s clammy hand wriggle it’s way into his own, squeezing tightly. “W-Why did you add us to the picture? I thought it was make-believe.” He asked, quietly.

Sora scrunched up his face into a disbelieving smile, as if the answer was the most obvious in the world. “ _C’mon_ Riku! Mummy told us to draw what was in our hearts! You’re my best friend, so you’ll always be in mine!” He paused, pouting for a moment, "Along with Prince, of course!" 

Perhaps if Riku had been older, he would have stuttered, or shied away at Sora’s unrestrained honesty, but as he was here and now - shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand with his friend, he smiled; and although he would never say it aloud, he knew that Sora would always be in his heart too. Along with Candy. _Of course_.


End file.
